Girls Bees turn back Suffern in state semis

Late comeback sends B'ville to final against Farmingdale

Baldwinsville senior midfielder Amari Pollard (33) charges up the field with the ball during Friday's state Class A semifinal against Suffern. Pollard had two of her three goals late in the second half to help the Bees rally and defeat the Mounties 9-8.
Larry Jones

The Mounties gained its first lead 3:07 into the second half on Caitlin Leary's strong move from the left side. Klaben's third goal, off Kennedy Frink's third assist, tied it once more at 6-6 four minutes later.

Gisono got her second goal with 14:39 left, giving the Mounties a 7-6 edge, and when Suffern slowed the tempo and lured the Bees' defenders out, Alli Iodice ran right by them and converted with 11:02 to play.

Trailing 8-6, B'ville used a time-out. Rowe said that Iodice's goal actually proved helpful, for without it, Suffern may have been able to run off more time.

Instead, Abbey Foote won the ensuing draw, and the Bees quickly charged down and cut its deficit to 8-7 on Pollard's second goal with 10:33 left. A tense stand-off followed, B'ville unable to pull even, but Suffern equally incapable of regaining its cushion.

That held until Pollard broke through and ripped in the tying goal with 4:47 to play. Just 19 seconds later, Klaben, with her fourth goal, had the Bees in front, this time for keeps.

Rowe said that Suffern's defense did a terrific job containing B'ville's leading goal-scorer, Taylor Gebhardt, and that it forced Pollard and Klaben, both midfielders, to assume more responsibility on the attack, which they did.

Even with a late lead, B'ville wasn't safe. Suffern claimed the ensuing draw and worked down the clock. Burrows stopped Regina Sharp on a fee-position attempt, and Hingre caused a turnover with 1:05 to play, the Bees able to run out the rest of the remaining clock.

In Saturday's state final at 9:30 a.m., B'ville will face Farmingdale (Section VIII), who knocked off Penfield 10-6 in the other state semifinal. On the same season-opening road trip that included the Suffern game, the Bees lost, 16-5, to the Dalers, a game it vows to avenge.

"I am excited to go after them again, to show how much we've improved," said Pollard, and Klaben agreed.

"We've come a long way since then," she said. We're not the same team at all."